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ENIAC (/ ˈ ɛ n i æ k /; Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) [1] [2] was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, completed in 1945. [3] [4] Other computers had some of these features, but ENIAC was the first to have them all.
The history of the personal computer as a mass-market consumer electronic device began with the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s. A personal computer is one intended for interactive individual use, as opposed to a mainframe computer where the end user's requests are filtered through operating staff, or a time-sharing system in which one large processor is shared by many individuals.
First fully transistorized computer in the U.S. 1958: American engineer Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit (IC). 1960: American engineer Theodore Maiman develops the first laser: 1962: Nick Holonyak invented the LED. 1963: First home Videocassette recorder (VCR) 1963: Electronic calculator: 1966: Fiber-optic communication by Kao and ...
Computers built after 1972 are often called fourth-generation computers, based on LSI (Large Scale Integration) of circuits (such as microprocessors) – typically 500 or more components on a chip. Later developments include VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) of integrated circuits 5 years later – typically 10,000 components.
Mark Dean, an African-American computer scientist and engineer, spent over 30 years at IBM pursuing the Next Big Thing. He was chief engineer of the 12-person team that designed the original IBM ...
Some of the first computers that might be called "personal" were early minicomputers such as the LINC and PDP-8, and later on VAX and larger minicomputers from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Data General, Prime Computer, and others. They originated as peripheral processors for mainframe computers, taking on some routine tasks and freeing ...
[9] [10] Programmable machines were also invented by Muslim engineers, such as the automatic flute player by the Banū Mūsā brothers. [11] During the Middle Ages, several European philosophers made attempts to produce analog computer devices.
1999: America Online has over 18 million subscribers and is now the biggest internet provider in the country, with higher-than-expected earnings. It acquires MapQuest for $1.1 billion in December.